Monday, July 02, 2007

SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY - hagio-doc

SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY is a documentary in which the film-maker, Sydney Pollack, is a friend and a fan of the subject, pioneering architect Frank Gehry. Pollack's documentary lacks balance. It is good on the process by which Gehry creates his buildings but less good at what makes up the man and what Gehry's place in the evolution of architecture is. It is noticeable than when talking heads praise a building we see beautiful photography of that building. When detractors mention a building, we do not see it. Instead we quickly cut to another fan who blows them out of the water. Now, I have no view either way. I know little about architecture. Problem is that after watching this messily organised documentary I am no nearer an understanding of the debate. I took my cousin Bugsy -an architect - along to the screening. He is an architect and an agnostic on Gehry's work and found the documentary too lightweight on architecture to satisfy professional interest and yet too superficial to give an interesting emotional impression of Gehry. So, two thumbs down from Family007.

SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY played Toronto 2005. It was released in the US, France, Australia, Belgium and Spain in 2006 and in the Netherlands, Italy and Japan earlier this year. It is currently on release in the UK and opens in Germany on July 5th 2007. It is currently available on Region 1 DVD.

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